PET STORIES

Max finds a comfortable seat on Biggy

Max bonding with Palamino Quarterhorse Poppet Max loves hanging with the cattle Nick Krause with Xena, Biggy and Max

THEY REALLY ARE man’s best friend

When NICK KRAUSE, editor of Times community newspaper, is not volunteering at the SPCA, he has three dogs with personalities and a cat that keep him entertained with their antics. Some musings on the animal farm, all part of one big, happy family.

It’s puzzled me for some time now that the lifespan of our pets is relatively short.

For creatures that bring us [mostly] so much joy, it just doesn’t seem fair.

Cats typically live for between 12-17 years and dogs 10-13 years. When we brought a gorgeous German Shepherd pup home, the eldest child was still at primary school. My kids – like others around the globe – would have grown up with a canine or puss.

The day he was euthanised I could not make it to the vets. Age and genetics had robbed him of mobility. Terribly sad for the world’s fastest dog. All three children attended with their mother. The eldest still recalls getting mum to stop at a butcher’s shop for a big steak then they helped him around a park for a last walk. They spread his ashes in the water at Eastern Beach where we used to live.

Fast forward to the adult kids. The eldest and his partner have three very large dogs. The two older dogs are brother and sister and the youngest is a half-brother. He is now larger than the other two and he’s only 14- months-old. Oh, and he’s pretty scatty, struggles to listen to commands and loves vomiting just inside the front door. Max is the funniest of the three of them.

Everything is an adventure for Max. Every single thing. It’s a reminder, if we needed one, that these animals are more than just pets. They’re family members, companions.

We’ve caught him numerous times sitting on the Alpha dog’s head. For a 50kg dog, that’s a sight to see. I don’t know why. Nor does the Alpha dog that used to very quietly growl when puppy Max came over to play. Alpha dog just accepts it now.

Max’s tail has knocked over so many cups of tea and just as many glasses of wine. He has also paid many visits to the vet. There was the mysterious swelling of one of his legs [put down to coming in contact with a noxious plant]. He demolished that first cone of shame within minutes, smashing through furniture and doorways. He obliterated four I think. The last one was reinforced with heavy tape and did the trick somehow.

He’s injured a paw badly. Max tears around at breakneck speed. There’s some bush land up on the hill behind our house and he will rocket between trees, over bushes and leap from great heights at a gallop. But his unique quality is an affinity for other animals, including our cat. They don’t play because she is alarmed by his size. I was holding her one day and he wanted to sniff her tail which was waving about like a worm on a hook. She shredded my arms to get some distance from the beast. When calves were placed in one of the paddocks adjoining the property, each day we would find them gathered round the fence near him sniffing each other’s noses. He did this daily until they moved.

He adores other dogs and got a fright when one attacked him. Max will play with visiting pups for hours. And then there are the horses. Max will happily walk amongst them while the others take a slightly wider berth. He’s one of a kind.

LIFE OF LUXURY for two Bichon Frise

Dogs may be man’s best friend but in one Bucklands Beach home it is the woman of the house who is adored by her two Bichon Frise pets. HELEN PERRY talked to Lynne Petty about the special bond she has with her ‘girls’.

When it comes to love and attention, Ruby Rose and Abby Rose couldn’t want for better. At 14 and 8 years old, no amount of pampering is too much for Lynne Petty’s two canine companions.

“Every day I wash their eyes, brush them and clean their teeth with an electric toothbrush. They line up for this daily routine which ends with a chewy treat,” she explains.

“When basic grooming is completed, the ‘girls’ are dressed – bandana for the neck, a matching bow in their hair and, perhaps, a coat or knitted pullover, depending on the season. When we go out, they have their own seatbelts in the car and overcoats in case of rain.”

Daily grooming aside, regular salon visits are a must. for a bath, trim and brush. For a special event, such as grandchild’s birthday party, they might wear a sparkly necklace or arrive sporting a washable colour rinse – pink, blue, whatever suits the occasion. At one fundraiser, Ruby’s red and yellow rinse represented Ronald McDonald; at another I painted her toenails.”

Looking pretty is par for the course, however Lynne says an annual vet check and vaccinations are essential.

“A quality diet is also important – Royal Canin kibble, a little wet food, and, in the morning, fruit but never pineapple which makes them sick. When they need some quiet time, there is a room complete with creature comforts at the rear of the house, a day sofa in the lounge and at night they sleep on our bed.” adorable Bichons and Lynne says they not only bring joy to her life but to all who pass by their cottage.

“Being small, they don’t need as much exercise as bigger dogs but they are energetic, playful and adventurous. A while back we had a launch and both dogs were quite at home on it. They had their own life jackets and liked to swim.

“Most importantly, they are happy, friendly little dogs, intelligent, easy to train and extremely affectionate. I love them to bits.” Lynne Petty with Ruby Rose and Abby Rose.